Prepayment gas-meter.



No. 683,393. Patented Sept; 24, i90l.

J. D. FURSTER.

PREPAYMENT GAS METER.

(Application filed. Apr. 15, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Unir'ra TATES PATENT Orrrca.

JOHN DANIEL FORSTER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO METRO POIIITAN GASMETERS, LIMITED, OF OLD KENT ROAD, ENGLAND.

PREPAYIVI ENT GAS-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,393, datedSeptember 24, 1901.

Application filed April 15, 1901- Serial No. 55,932. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DANIEL FORSTER, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at 14 Commercial road, Peckham, London, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Prepayment Gas-Meters, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to prepayment gasmeters, and especially to meansfor readily adapting such meters to any variations in the price of gas,the improvements being chiefly applicable for use with meters of thekind described in the specification of British Letters Patent No. 28,155of 1896, but being also applicable to other meters.

In applying the invention to a meter of the kind described in thespecification of the aforesaid former patent the shaft which operatesthe mechanism for controlling the supply of gas and alsoa shaft drivenby the twofoot shaft are carried to the outside of the meter-casing andadapted at this point to be geared together by toothed wheels, one ofwhich is preferably fixed upon its shaft,while the other is detachablymounted, so that it can serve as the change-wheel. The shaft driven bythe two-foot shaft is capable of be ing adj usted laterally-i. 6.,toward or away from the axis of the other shaft-a guide-plate having aslot supporting the projecting end of the said adjustable shaft. Thisguide-plate also carries a disk, plate, or quadrant (which forms abearing for the shaft driven by the two-foot shaft) pivotally mountedupon it and provided with a series of holes at varying distances fromthe center of the said disk, plate,

or quadrant, into any one of which the said projecting end can beinserted, according to the diameter of the change-wheel to be employed.The guide-plate is made removable to enable the wheel to be convenientlychanged. This change mechanism is inclosed in a box or compartmentprovided with a lid normally secured by a suitable lock and which can bereadily opened by the inspector.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, I will describe it byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is anelevation illustrating the change-gear. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan ofthe same, the section being on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view toFig. 1, but showing a larger change-wheel applied. Fig. 5 is anelevation of the disk provided with the se ries of holes, and Fig. 6 isan elevation of the guide-plate.

a is the casing of the attic of the meter; Z), the shaft which operates(through the medium ofthe crank c) the mechanism for controlling thesupply of gas, as described in the specification of British Patent No.28,155 of 1896; d, the shaft driven by the two-foot shaft e, and g h thegeanwheels whereby the shaft 1) is driven by the shaft d. All theforegoing parts are of known construction.

The gear-wheel g I make removable from the shaft 12, so as to form achange-wheel, and to enable the shaft d to be moved toward or away fromthe shaft 1) to admit of this change being effected its end d issupported with a certain amount of play in the bearing (1 while its endd which carries the gear-wheel h, passes through a slot 11 in theguide-plate j, the casing a, through which the shaft d passes, alsobeing provided with a slot t.

k is the disk or plate carried by the guide platej and which serves as abearing for the end d of the shaft (Z, a series of holes at varyingdistances from the center being made in the said disk, in any one ofwhich the end d of the shaft (2 can be supported, The disk It is clampedupon the guide-plate by suitable means, such as a milled-headed screw Z,passing through a hole 70 in its center and into one of a series ofholesmin the said guide-plate, and the guide-plate is clamped to theback of the box n, inclosing the change mechanism, also by suitablemeans, such as milled-headed screws 0 0, passing through holes j in thesaid plate.

13 is a hole with which the guide-plate is pro vided as a bearing forthe end of the shaft 1).

With the above-described construction it will be seen that by removingthe screw l to release the disk 7.: and then removing the screws 0 0, soas to release the guide-plate j, the wheel 9 can be removed and anotherone of different size substituted to gear with the wheel it, accordingto the variation in the price of gas, the shaft d being in consequencemoved farther from or nearer to the shaft b. The guide-plate j and disk7; are then replaced, the end of the shaft 61 engaging with a differenthole in the disk from that with which it previously engaged. The holes mmin the plate j permit of a Wider range of Wheels being employed thanwould be the case with only one such hole.

q is the lid of the box formed upon the easing a, inwhich boX the changemechanism is arranged, the said lid or cover being normally secured by asuitable lock or seal (not shown) and being removable to enable thechange-Wheel to be altered Without the necessity of obtaining access tothe attic of the meter.

Although I have described the fixed shaft 1) as being that to which thechangewvheels are applied, it will be obvious that the said Wheels canbe applied to the shaft d.

Having noW particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. In a prepayment gas-meter, a change mechanismcomprising among its members two shafts, one movable with respect to theother, gearin g connecting said shafts, a guideplate having a bearingfor the stationary shaft and a slotted aperture for receiving themovable shaft and an adj ustin g-plate detachably secured to saidguide-plate and provided with a bearingaperture engaging said movableshaft, substantially as described.

2. In a prepayment gas-meter, a change mechanism comprising among itsmembers two shafts, one movable with respect to the other, gearing conmeeting said shafts, aguideplate having a bearing for the stationaryshaft and a slotted aperture for receiving the movable shaft and an adjustin g-plate detachably secured to said guide-plate and provided witha series of bearing-apertures at different distances from its point ofattachment to said guide-plate,said apertures being adapted to engagesaid movable shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a prepayment gas-meter, a change mechanism comprisingamong itsmembers two shafts one movable with respect to the other, gearingconnecting said shafts,aguideplate having abearing for the stationaryshaft and a slotted aperture for receiving the movable shaft,a circularadjusting-plate provided with a central aperture, and a series ofbearing-apertures for the movable shaft located at different distancesfrom said central aperture and a set-screw engaging said centralaperture and securing said adjusting-plate to saidguide-plate,substantially as described.

JOHN DANIEL FORSTER.-

\Vitnesses:

JOHN E. BOUSFIELD, A. ALBERTT.

